Accumulator.



No. 766,958. PATENTED AUG. 9, 1904.

J. A. LYONS & E. G. BROADWBLL.

AOGUMULATOR. urmommn FILED 32212.25. 1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented August 9, 1904.

PATENT O EIcE.

JOHN A. LYONS AND EDWARD C. BROADl VELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ACCUIVIULATOR.

SIECIFICA'IION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,958, dated. August9, 1904.

Application filed September 25, 1903. Serial No. 174,674. (No model.)

that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.reference being had to the accompanying drawlngs, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in accumulators, and moreparticularly to an accumulator adapted to maintain a charged conditionfor a long period of time without injury.

Heretofore it has been customary to employ strong acids or acorrosively-alkaline electrolyte together with metallic elements orconductors adapted to be more or less afl'ected thereby. This tends toshorten the life of the cell, especially if left in a charged conditionfor a considerable period-of time.

The object of this invention is to provide an electrolyte which underall conditions is neutral or weakly basic, according to the indicatorused for test.

It is also an object of the invention to secure high degree ofefliciency with slight weight as compared with the accumulators now inuse.

The invention consists in the matters hercinafter described, and morefully pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of a cell, illustratinga cell embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2 2 ofFig. l.

lated from the receptacle by means of the supporting-pins b b 6 whichmay be of carbon or other insulating material. -This anode is surroundedby a mlxture B of carbonaceous materialsuch as charcoal, retort-carbon,or graphite-Which may be mixed with infusional earth and the oxid,hydroxid, or oXysalts of such metals as give two or more forms of0Xidssuch as lead, nickel, cobalt, cerium. or such like-and which canpass from a lower to a higher state of oxidation. This in a pastyconsistency is placed around said anode-plate and the mass saturatedwith a solution of either a basic halojd of the oxysalt or itsequivalents of the metal, by the electrolysis of which deposition inreguline state occurs at thecathode. In practice we prefer to use as theelectrolytic salt Zinc oxychlorid or zinc chlorid or bromid holding zinchydroxid or oxid, or a zinc-oxidbearing salt holding the zinc oXid withweak afiinity in suspension or weak chemical solution, although it isevident the basic sulfate, basic nitrate, or any other oxysalt of zinccan be utilized to carry out the purposes of our cycle of chemism andalso that the oXy or other basic salt of tin, cadmium, copper, or thelike can be substituted forthe oxysalts of zinc; yet zinc oXid orhydroxid must always, if zinc salts are used, be present in excess. Thefunction of the basicity of the salt, which is the foundation of theresults obtained, lies in the neutralization of the acid anolyte setfree with the oxygen, chlorin, or bromin at the anode, as the caseobtains.

The mechanism of reaction is as follows: After the zinc, cadmium,copper, tin, or other cathodic deposit occurs the cogent chlorin, ifused or present, eliminated at the mium, &c., would then become thecathion. Since the electrolyte is neutral or weakly basic, the free acidis immediately n eutralizcd, forming fresh material for deposition atthe oathode instead of furnishing free acid to interfere with theperfect action of the cell, so that virtually as a secondary conditionit is the oxid or hydroxid of the metal deposited that stores energy aswell as the normal salt. Obviously, too, owing to the neutral orweaklybasic character of the electrolyte the charged cell may be putaside for a long period without loss of energy due to corrosive actionof the electrolyte on the cathode or anode deposit. In use practicallyall of the lower analytic oxid is converted to the highest state ofoxidation, so that its complete peroxidation obtains, which could not bepossible were these oxids compressed into a solid mass. It is alsoevident that no loss of energy due to hydrogen formation at the cathode(as always occurs when strongly acid or alkaline solutions are used) canoccur in cells such as described.

IVhile in the drawings a particular cell and anode-plate are shown, itis evident that our invention is adaptable to many different forms ofbatteries, and we do not desire to be limited to any particularconformation of cell or elements contained therein, as obviously ourinvention is capable of embodiment in many different ways. i

We claim as our invention 1. In an accumulator an anode elementcomprising a mixture of carbonaceous matter and an oxid of a metalcapable of more than one degree of oxidation and an electrolytecomprising a solution of a basic haloid of a metal which by electrolysisdeposits reguline at the cathode.

2. In an accumulator an anode material comprising a mixture of oxygencompounds of a metal capable of assuming more than one degree ofoxidation together with finely-divided carbonaceous materials and anelectrolyte comprising in solution the oxysalt of a metal depositingreguline. from aqueous solution during electrolysis.

3. In an accumulator an anode material. comprising a mixture ofcarbonaceous material comprising an inert conducting-core, a mixture ofcarbonaceous material and the hydroxid of a metal capable of assumlngmore a than one degree of oxidation surrounding the same and anelectrolyte comprising a solution of the oxysalts of a metal whichbyel'ectrolysis deposits reguline at the cathode.

4. In an accumulator of the class described an anode element comprisinga mixture of carbonaceous matter and an oxygen compound of a metalcapable of assuming more than one degree of oxidation, an electrolytealways neutral or weakly basic and containing in solution the oxysalt ofa metal such as deposits reguline from its aqueous solution.

5. In an accumulator an anode comprising a conductingcore surrounded bya mixture of carbonaceous material and an oxygen compound of a metalcapable of assuming more than one degree of oxidation, a neutral orweakly basic electrolyte comprising a solution of the basic haloid saltof a metal which de posits reguline from its aqueous solution.

6. In an accumulator the admixture of one of the oxygen compounds of ametal capable of assuming more than one state of oxidation with inertporous material as an anode, and an electrolyte containing in solutionoxysalt of a metal which deposits reguline from its aqueous solution.

7. In an accumulator the combination with a retaining-cell of metal, ofa porous non-conducting lining such as a fabric, lining the same, ananode element therein comprising a plate of inert conducting materialsuch as carbon, surrounded by a mixture of divided carbon, and one ofthe oxids of a metal capable of assuming more than one state ofoxidation, and an electrolyte comprising in a neutral or weakly basicsolution such as the basic haloid or oxy salt of a metal which willdeposit reguline from aqueous solutions upon electrolysis.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN A. LYONS. EDWARD C. BROADWELL.

-Witnesses:

ALFRED C. ODELL, C. W. HILLS.

